Prepare your passport and arrival details
Use these visa and regional-stay details for tourism on an ordinary US passport. Before booking, put your passport type, expiry date, travel dates and purpose together. Ask the airline and Salvadoran authorities to confirm the document conditions for that itinerary, especially if you are using an emergency passport or traveling for another purpose.
If a U.S. passport is lost or stolen during the trip, use the lost U.S. passport guide for the replacement steps and preparation list.
US tourists traveling on ordinary US passports need a valid passport to enter El Salvador. [source] Ask the airline and Salvadoran authorities how much passport validity your itinerary requires, leaving time for a renewal if needed. Keep your accommodation address, arrival transport details and return or onward plans together so you can find them during the trip.
For arrival logistics, compare the airport-to-San Salvador options or the airport-to-El Tunco route. Choose your first overnight stop before arranging the pickup.
Separate visa exemption from your recorded stay
US tourists do not require a visa for visits of 90 days or less. [source] At admission, check the period recorded for your visit and ask the immigration officer to explain anything unclear. Use that record when arranging your departure or a longer stay.
If you want more time, ask Migración about the extension process for your passport and current permission before changing your departure. Have your entry record and proposed dates ready. Keep any approval with your passport and trip details.
Plan the whole regional route together
For US tourists traveling on ordinary US passports, the initial CA-4 stay is a combined period of up to 90 days across El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. [source] Crossing an internal CA-4 border does not start a new period of stay. [source]
| Part of your trip | What to put in your plan |
|---|---|
| First arrival in the region | Save the entry record and note the stay granted. |
| A stop in another member country | Keep the original arrival date in view. An internal crossing does not start a new period. [source] |
| A longer stay | Confirm the permission needed for each country and keep any extension approval. |
| Departure from the region | Compare your planned departure with the time recorded for your stay. |
If you arrive in El Salvador after visiting Guatemala, Honduras or Nicaragua, have the first regional entry record ready when checking your remaining time. Ask the immigration authorities how any separately granted extension applies to your planned crossings. Put the border dates beside your accommodation bookings so the whole route is easy to review.
Keep the former tourist card separate from other charges
El Salvador repealed the Tarjeta Migratoria de Ingreso and its former $12 charge in 2025. [source] If a ticket, transfer quote or arrival instruction mentions a charge, ask for its name and basis. Check whether a ticket already includes it before adding it separately to your budget.
For the rest of your preparation, use the trip-planning hub, review the travel insurance checklist and save the emergency information. The provider directory has contacts for arranging services. A five-day city-and-coast itinerary can help you choose your first stops.
Common questions
Do US tourists need a visa for El Salvador?
US tourists do not require a visa for visits of 90 days or less. [source] This answer covers tourism on an ordinary US passport. Bring your passport and check the stay recorded when you enter. For a different passport type, nationality or purpose, request the conditions that apply to that trip.
Does a CA-4 border crossing give me a new stay?
Crossing an internal CA-4 border does not start a new period of stay. [source] Put your first regional arrival and final departure on the same trip outline. Check the time recorded at admission before arranging another country stop, and keep any separately approved extension with your travel documents.
What changed about the tourist card?
El Salvador repealed the Tarjeta Migratoria de Ingreso and its former $12 charge in 2025. [source] Keep that named card separate from other items on your ticket or travel quote. If a charge is unclear, ask the issuer for its name, basis and whether it is already included in the ticket.
Sources
- US tourists do not require a visa for visits of 90 days or less.
- US tourists traveling on ordinary US passports need a valid passport to enter El Salvador.
- For US tourists traveling on ordinary US passports, the initial CA-4 stay is a combined period of up to 90 days across El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
- Crossing an internal CA-4 border does not start a new period of stay.
- El Salvador repealed the Tarjeta Migratoria de Ingreso and its former $12 charge in 2025.
Travel information only; for medical or legal decisions, consult a qualified professional.